Here is my gift to you, dear reader. A chapter composed of 3000+ words. Enjoy!
DISCLAIMER: I still don't own K-ON! or its characters. *sigh*
CHAPTER 3: GRAVITY
No matter where they are in this world,
An unknown force steadily brings them closer.
As Tachibara Hideaki and Akiyama Mio continued to walk down the street, a high-pitched female voice interrupted them.
"Okay, Cut! Nice job Mio-san and Aki-kun! Everyone, let's have an early lunch break."
Mio instinctively retracted her hand from the boy's and she bowed deeply to him.
"Thank you for the hard work."
The boy also bowed to her and answered "Thanks also, Akiyama-san." He then smiled warmly at Mio and walked in the opposite direction, towards the female director. He kissed the girl on the cheek and intertwined his hand with hers. Both of them smiled sweetly at each other, and proceeded to go to a nearby eatery.
"That makes me miss Ritsu even more." Mio said as she melted form the couple's sweetness.
She then checked her phone in the hopes of finding a message from her beloved. She wasn't disappointed, as she was now reading the mail from her girlfriend. As she saw the words 'barnacles' and 'dolphins', chills went down her spine; nonetheless, she was happy that Ritsu was still the goofy baka that she loves.
'She wants to have dinner tonight. But I can't go, I still have to finish this. I better tell her.'
Being the kind person that she was, Mio was still helping Himeko - her friend – with the filming of her movie project. She initially thought that she would work behind the cameras, but unfortunately she became the lead female character in a twisted romance/thriller/horror flick. She didn't like it, but she already said yes to her friend so there was no backing down now. Strangely, she had no problems with the scary parts (all thanks to Ritsu's pranks and the training in Mugi's maid café).
As she finished mailing her girlfriend, she hadn't noticed that someone was now behind her.
"Mio-chan" a deep ominous voice made her heart race.
The black haired girl winced and froze, but still managed to recover quickly. "Mlo-mugi. Don't do t-that ever again-n." It took a tremendous amount of control for Mio to not hit her dear friend.
The blonde giggled "My my. Okay then. Mio-chan, let's have lunch together." Mio nodded in agreement. As her friend turned, Mio stared at the clothes that Mugi wore. 'Wow, it really suits her.' She noted.
They arrived shortly at a Max Burger branch. When they entered the store, they stole the attention of all the people there. The culprit: their overall get-up.
Mio wore a plain white strapless dress which fell just above her knee. Her hair was tied into a ponytail, exposing her slender neck and shoulders. She wore white flat shoes that had a hint of glitter in them. To top it off, she wore gold plated accessories that complimented her attire. Her outfit highlighted her slender figure while giving off the 'an angel is among us' vibe. Mugi, on the other hand, wore a sexy form-fitting red dress that showed off her cleavage. Her wavy blonde hair framed her face beautifully. Her hair and her dress made her sapphire blue eyes stand-out. She was also wearing black knee-high high-heeled boots. Her outfit gave off the 'you have absolutely no chance with me' vibe. Both of them looked extremely attractive, so it was not a wonder why the men in line let them cut in line to order first. (Ahh yes. The perks of being pretty.)
After they had ordered their meals and took their seats, Mugi noticed that something was evidently off with Mio.
"Mio-chan, you look pale. Are you not feeling well?" Mugi had a concerned look on her face, evidenced by her upturned eyebrows. She guessed that Mio became uncomfortable with all the attention that she received. Her shy friend did get 6 phone numbers from random guys.
"I'm okay, just a little tired." She lied. "Mugi, do you think that Ritsu's mad at me?"
"I think that she's not mad at you. She could never be mad at you." The blonde gave a reassuring smile.
"Well…" Mio trailed off. ".. I have been holding back when it comes to her."
Mugi continued to smile at her friend, then a trail of blood left her nostril. "Holding back?" she asked with a sensual tone.
"Y-your nose is b-b-bleeding! And I didn't mean it t-that way, geez." She whispered the second part.
The ojou-sama rolled a piece of tissue and plugged her nose with it. "Then what exactly do you mean by 'holding back'?"
"Since we started dating, I've been unsure of my feelings for her. She noticed this and we already talked about it, but I didn't tell her the reason why I was uncomfortable. So she told me that she'll take it slow, and that she'll do her very best to make me warm up to her. She's been very considerate."
"But, do you still love her?"
A beet-red Mio almost shouted "O-of course I do! I have loved her ever since we were little kids. I'm just unsure because I'm afraid that she'll find out about the 'thing' that happened."
Her friend sighed and said "She won't find out as long as we remain vigilant and careful. Remember that I'm here to help you. So stop worrying Mio-chan. Mmkay?"
"Okay, if you say so. Thank you for everything, Mugi." Mio finally flashed a genuine smile at her friend. A huge weight was lifted from her chest, and she decided to ignore the nagging feeling in her subconscious.
The two girls continued chatting away while having their lunch. Throughout their short meal, they received 4 phone numbers (each), 2 complimentary ice cream shakes, and a charcoal sketch of the teo of them enjoying lunch. Mio got creeped out by the last bit, so Mugi decided to break the tension.
"I've been meaning to ask you this. What's with Tachibara-san? He's been acting awfully nice to you."
Mio frantically waved her hands in an effort to dismiss the topic. "What's with that? He's just a really nice guy, and he's already with Himeko-san. Plus, I would never cheat on Ritsu. I love her too much."
"Hihi. I was only asking, M-I-O~" a grin graced the features of the heiress, something very uncharacteristic of her. Right then, Mugi's phone rang. She looked at the caller ID before answering it.
"Hello? Ah yes. Sure! She's right here. Could you hold for a bit? Thank you."
She gave her phone to the bassist who was in the middle of eating her fries.
"Mio-chan, someone urgently needs to talk to you."
A surprised Mio took the phone reluctantly, carefully speaking into the phone mic.
"H-hello? May I know who this is?" No one answered, so she decided to repeat herself.
"Hello? Who is th-"
"Mio! Is that really you?" the black haired girl moved the phone away from her ear as the person on the other line talked in a loud voice. A loud, familiar voice.
"Ritsu! But why?-"
"Mugi mailed me to call her as soon as possible, so I did. I even got nervous for nothing. Seriously, that girl!" Ritsu sighed, then continued to speak "Anyway, how are you my Dangerous Queen? Any new victims yet? Hehe. I miss you."
Mio was blushing now. Mugi quietly stood and went to the restroom. She winked at Mio-that was her way to signal her friend to keep talking to her beloved. Mio mouthed a 'Thank you' before she answered Ritsu.
"I'm okay. How about you, baka? And please, don't say such e-embarrassing things!"
"But I really do miss you. Don't you miss me? I've been really lonely here. *So hurtful, Ricchan!*"
The bassist was sure that she heard Yui complain. "I-I miss you too. Was that Yui? It seems to me that you aren't lonely at all."
"Y-you know what I mean with what I said, Mio-chuan! Uhmm. I have to hang-up soon, break is almost over."
A sad Mio replied "Okay. I'll see you next time then? Take care. By the way, I'm sorry for what happened earlier." It took a few seconds for Ritsu to respond.
"It's okay, I understand. I'll just mail you later. Bye, I love you!"
A beeping sound was heard; the drummer had already hung-up on her.
"Yeah. I love you too.. so much." Mio gently whispered
When Mugi got back, they headed back to the set of the film. After shooting the remaining scenes, the two of them headed to University to attend their afternoon lectures. They were in such a hurry that they forgot to change out of their outfits. That afternoon, their fan clubs were born.
A week passed since classes at Tokyo University officially started. Akiyama Mio had gotten accustomed to her daily routine- wake up, exercise, bathe, eat, go to school, go home, do homework, sleep. Due to her intelligence and good looks, she had also become a popular student in a short period of time. Many students knew her as 'Ice Hime'- she had already shot down 20+ love confessions in just a week (a new campus heartbreak record). Just the thought of it made her head ache.
"Life would be easier if Ritsu was here."
Ritsu always protected her from unnecessary things, so being separated from her was very difficult for the shy bassist. Because of their busy schedules, the two of them had not yet set a day for their date. Sending mail, making voice calls, and the occasional video calls were the only means for them to fill the holes in their hearts. Though they kept communication lines open, something was slowly changing. Mio knew why this was happening; after all, she is the catalyst.
"Good Morning, Mio-chan! It seems to me that you like you pancakes burnt to a crisp, ne?" A jolly Mugi said as she walked inside the kitchen. She was humming the tune of the song that she composed for their band back in high school. This could only mean one of 2 things- 1.) That she acquired new 'manga'; and 2.) That she was planning something.
"I don't like them burnt-"black circles resembling hockey pucks caught her attention. She then discreetly chucked the hockey pucks-no, pancakes in the trash can.
"Never mind. I'll just have cereal. Would you like some, Mugi?" The blonde nodded. Mio reached for her favorite fruit-flavored cereal. She also took out 2 bowls, 2 spoons, and a liter of low fat milk (don't ask why).
After finishing their breakfast, they left for school. Commuting to the University was a hassle due to the number of people in Tokyo. Luckily Mio's father provided them with a private limousine that would cater to all their transportation needs. As the limo drove into the campus grounds, colorful posters caught Mio's eyes.
TOKYO UNIVERSITY
SEARCH FOR THE NEXT SCHOOL IDOL!
Think you have what it takes?
Sign up now!
'Wow. I never knew they had such contests here.' Mio thought.
She and her friend got out of the limo, suddenly Mugi bowed apologetically to her friend
"Sorry Mio-chan, I'll head off now. I still have to do some research. See you later!" The heiress took off, but stopped to say one last thing "By the way, I signed you up for the contest. Hihi. Thank me later!" Mugi easily escaped from what would've been a 99-hit combo attack directed at her.
Mio dropped her books as she processed the words that came out of her friend's mouth. Contest. Idol. University. Stage. Crowd.
"WHAT?!" was all that Mio managed to let out.
The grey eyed girl was in deep thought when a white Audi S8 pulled in front of her. It was heavily tinted so no one from the outside could see what was on the inside. The window facing Mio rolled down, and she saw a woman with short, dark brown hair sitting at the back of the luxury car. The woman was in her mid-40, but her face did not show it. She wore large sunglasses as a precaution- she was careful to hide her identity from any stray paparazzi that might show up.
"Mio-chan. We need to talk." Her voice was calming yet you can sense that there was coldness in her tone.
"Yes of course, Tainaka-san." Mio was fazed because she did not expect to see Ritsu's mother anytime sooner. Thankfully, she managed to maintain a calm exterior. It would be very embarrassing for her to talk to her girlfriend's mother with a stutter in her words.
The window rolled up, and the driver got out of the car to open the backseat door for Mio. He also picked up the books that were scattered on the ground. Inside, Mio sat at the opposite end from where Mrs. Tainaka sat.
"So, how are things going between you and my beloved daughter?" The woman took off her silly oversized sunglasses, revealing piercing light brown eyes with a shade of orange.
"Things are going smoothly, Tainaka-san."
"Okay. That's good. I do not wish to regret the gamble that I made 10 years ago when I chose you, Mio-chan."
Mio swallowed hard. Indeed, the Matriarch of the Tainaka Family was very intimidating. That was to be expected because this was the business side of the infamous tycoon of the oil industry in Japan.
"I would advise you to tread carefully, my dear. We do not want any unwanted problems to ensue. I also trust that you would not wish to lose my daughter. Have I made myself clear?" Light brown eyes stared authoritatively at Mio's stormy grey orbs.
"Yes Ma'am. I will do everything to maintain the current situation. I do not want to lose Ritsu." Mio replied coolly, with a dead-serious tone in her voice.
Mrs. Tainaka smirked slightly. "Good. Well, I only came here to check on you and make sure that everything is fine. Thank you for your time. You may now leave, Akiyama-san." The older woman bowed her head to show her gratitude.
The driver escorted Mio out of the car and gave her the books that he picked up. Mio was now standing on solid ground, and she also bowed to the woman "Thank You, Tainaka-san."
The car was ready to leave. At the last second, the back window rolled down one last time. Mrs. Tainaka had something that she had forgotten to say to the girl.
"Oh, and dear, I wish you all the best. Good Luck." With that, the car sped off, this left Mio staring at dust clouds made by the vehicle.
'Good luck? For what?'
Two male students walked towards Mio. The taller one shouted "Yo, Akiyama-san! Hurry up or you'll be late for first period." The bassist took a deep breath and steadied herself. She then turned around to face the boys who were now just 5 feet away.
"Ok Tachibara-san. Thank you."
As the three of them walked to their building Tachibara introduced his friend. "Akiyama Mio, meet my best bud Okada Kentaro. Best bud, meet our Uni's Ice Hime!"
Mio disregarded the last part. "Hi Okada-san, nice to meet you." She smiled at the black-haired boy.
"Nice to meet you too, Akiyama-san." The boy beamed at Mio, a light blush was on his cheeks.
The first bell rang; this made the three students run to their lecture room.
-4 DAYS LATER, AT KYOTO UNI-
2PM. With an hour left before Ritsu's classes finally come to a close, she got a mail from Yui. The brunette reminded her of band practice at 4PM. The band being referred to is "Hibiki", one of the few all-girl bands in their university. During their first day, Yui accidentally stumbled upon a recruitment flier of the band. They were looking for new members because most of their members graduated last semester. This development excited Yui to no end so she told Ritsu about it. At first Ritsu refused, she was very loyal to the band that she and Mio co-founded. But after some pestering, crying, whining, and bribing from her friend she finally agreed - under one condition: no one else should know about this. For the audition, Yui played a complicated guitar solo that Azusa taught her, and Ritsu played a powerful drum solo inspired by Keith Moon. They both got accepted, so for the past few days they were attending band practice after their classes.
Their professor did not show up, Ritsu got dismissed earlier than what she had hoped for. She decided to go to the rooftop and take a well-deserved nap. Once she fell asleep, she had 2 unusual dreams.
-1st DREAM-
A 5 year old Ritsu was dragging a small auburn-haired girl, who was roughly around her age. They were running from stray dogs that chased them out of nowhere. They were running for about 10 minutes when they reached a beautiful park. It was decided that they will hide here for the meantime. The children hid inside an igloo-like structure. Some time passed before the auburn haired girl spoke.
"Ricchan, let's make this park our special place from now on. Ok?"
The hazel-haired girl grinned widely while nodding in agreement.
. . . . . . . . .
-2nd DREAM-
Now, an almost 7 year old version of her was wildly running around the same park. She was playing 'tag' with the same auburn haired girl who was now sporting pigtails and full bangs held back by a red headband. The young Ritsu failed to notice a rock that was up ahead. She accidentally tripped on said rock, which caused her to land quite hard on her right knee. The auburn haired girl rushed to the side of her friend who was now sitting down and wincing in pain.
"Ricchan! I told you to slow down. Your knee is bleeding. Let me put this on it." The girl placed a yellow Band-Aid on the bruised knee.
"Thanks! Ehehe. I made you quite worried, didn't I?" Little Ritsu scratched her cheek
"Yes, you did. You should wear this from now on, so that your bangs won't get in the way." A red hairband was shoved in Ritsu's face. The amber eyed girl wore it reluctantly.
"There, much better. It suits you! Now c'mon, let's go home." The girl with the pigtails smiled at her friend as she helped her up. She also assisted her in walking.
Different shades of red and yellow danced around the skyline as the sun set. This was the perfect backdrop for the two friends, who, like the colors of the sunset, perfectly complemented each other.
. . . . . . . .
"..Ricchan!"
Yui was violently shaking Ritsu. They were now late for band practice- it was already 4:30 in the afternoon. Eyelids slowly opened, revealing brilliant amber eyes.
"Mmm.. Yui..?" The drummer mumbled incoherently.
"Captain, we have to go!" It was now the brunette's turn to drag her friend.
Both of them panted heavily as they reached the designated practice room. As they opened the door, they bowed multiple times and they asked for forgiveness for their tardiness. Yuuki, the band leader, told them that it was okay. She also told them not to be so uptight. The two girls laughed nervously, and bowed again.
"I almost forgot, we have a new vocalist. She just came in today." Yuuki then signaled for the girl to introduce herself.
She was tall and fair skinned. Her expressive eyes were a beautiful shade of garnet. Her auburn hair was done in big, voluminous curls with her bangs parted to her right.
'She looks familiar..' Yui and Ritsu thought of the same thing.
"Hello, my name is Yushouka Eri. Nice to meet you." The girl smiled at them, exposing her blinding pearly white teeth.
Determined garnet eyes met curious amber ones.
'We finally meet again.'
TO BE CONTINUED.
. . . . . . .
-RITSU'S EARLIER PHONE CONVERSATION WITH MUGI-
'I wonder what this is about..'. Ritsu had a bad feeling in her gut as she waited for Mugi to answer her phone. Her head started to throb.
After 3 rings, the blonde girl finally picked up.
'Hello?'
"Hey Mugi, why'd you t-"
'Ah yes. Sure!'
"What? I didn't even-"
'She's right here.'
"Who's ri-"
'Could you hold for a bit? Thank you.'
'I am so gonna..' Ritsu's train of thought got derailed when she heard the voice that she was longing to hear.
'H-hello? May I know who this is?'
'No way.. Mugi, you couldn't have possibly..' Ritsu suddenly grinned wildly, catching Yui's attention.
'Hello? Who is th-'
"Mio! Is that really you?" amber eyes suddenly beamed with excitement and joy.
'Thanks, Mugi.' The drummer silently thanked her good friend.
. . . . . . . . . Mugi's a genius o_o . . . . . . . . .
Y'all are probably guessing what the whole picture is..
Well I do have a general idea in mind
And I have been dropping hints around (since chap 1)
Continue guessing.. 'Kay? :)
BTW. I might throw in some plot twists along the way.
I'm a very random person.
Next chap will contain MiTsu fluff!
(You have been warned.)
Gots to go.
Momma needs some rest.
(currently sick)
Adieu.